The 2017 women’s Division I college soccer season arrives on Friday, with the march towards Orlando officially kicking off.
Scores of new faces dot new programs around the nation. With the preseason in its final stages, the picture is finally clear about what the new recruiting classes look like.
MORE: 2017 Women's DI preview content | 2017 Preseason Best XI teams revealed
Below is the final TopDrawerSoccer.com recruiting class rankings for DI women’s soccer programs.
1. Stanford
Commitments: F Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush – No. 2), F Catarina Macario (San Diego Surf – No. 3), M Kiara Pickett (Eagles SC – No. 4), F Belle Briede (Tophat SC – No. 24), F Jojo Harber (Eastside FC – No. 28), F Madison Haley (Dallas Texans – No. 32), F Sophia Serafin (West Coast FC – No. 44), M Brooke Redington (So Cal Blues – No. 61)
Transfers: Samantha Hiatt (Boston College)
The addition of Sam Hiatt on transfer – just the second in program history – bolsters Stanford’s back line, the one position that needed to be addressed. There is also a bevy of incoming strikers that should be able to impact the game right away in Kuhlmann and Macario.
2. UCLA
Commitments: F Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues – No. 1), D Karina Rodriguez (So Cal Blues – No. 7), M Viviana Villacorta (Beach FC – No. 35), D Kennedy Faulknor (Unionville Milliken Soccer Club – No. 45), M Delanie Sheehan (West Coast FC (NorCal) – No. 52), GK Lauren Brzykcy (West Coast FC – No. 70), M Olivia Athens (PSV Union – No. 99), F Isabella Bellinghausen (So Cal Blues), D Danielle Satterwhite (So Cal Blues), D Hannah Sharts (Slammers FC)
Any recruiting class that features arguably the best player in the group is going to be a good one. Ashley Sanchez will help UCLA cope with the departure of Mallory Pugh to the pro ranks, and there’s a number of other promising and talented California players heading to Westwood.
3. California
Commitments: M Luca Deza (De Anza Force SC – No. 14), D Emily Smith (De Anza Force SC – No. 17), D Kai Henderson (Crossfire Premier SC – No. 53), M Caroline Clark (Lamorinda United – No. 64), F Denae Antoine (Legends FC – No. 90), D Kailee Gifford (De Anza Force SC – No. 91), GK Olivia Sekany (Pleasanton Rage – No. 139), M Daisy Cleverley (Forrest Hill Milford Utd AFC), D Morgan Rogers (Lamorinda United), F Emma Westin (Boo FF), M Whitney Davis (Beach FC)
A mammoth class for the Golden Bears, an all-California class highlighted by three De Anza Force stars (Deza, Smith and Gifford) gets a nice boost from internationals from New Zealand and Sweden.
